Some good news for a change.

Jan. 7, 1972 — Rehnquist, who had been an assistant U.S. attorney general, joins Supreme Court after being nominated by President Nixon and confirmed by Senate, 68-26.

June 1972 — The court strikes down all state death penalty laws, saying inadequate procedures led to arbitrary results. Rehnquist dissents.

January 1973 — Court finds right to abortion in Constitution's guarantee of personal liberty. Rehnquist dissents.

July 1974 — Court says Nixon must comply with a judge's subpoena for Watergate tapes. Rehnquist doesn't participate because he served under Attorney General John Mitchell, on trial for his involvement in Watergate.

July 1976 — With Rehnquist's vote, court reinstates death penalty laws with new procedures.

June 1978 — Court allows affirmative action in higher education. Rehnquist dissents.

June 1979, July 1980 — Court upholds affirmative action in public contracting. Rehnquist dissents.

September 1986 — Rehnquist becomes chief justice after being nominated by Reagan and confirmed by the Senate. He succeeds Warren Burger. Antonin Scalia joins court and provides another strong conservative vote.

February 1988 — Reagan appointee Anthony Kennedy joins court, giving Rehnquist a majority of five conservatives on many issues.

January 1989 — With Rehnquist in the majority, the court sets a strict standard for local governments' affirmative action policies.

February 1989 — With Rehnquist's vote, court dramatically cuts death row prisoners' ability to challenge their cases.

October 1991 — Clarence Thomas joins the bench, appointed by Bush and succeeding Thurgood Marshall. Thomas gives Rehnquist a consistent conservative vote. Marshall was the last justice who opposed the death penalty in all cases.

June 1992 — Over Rehnquist's dissent, the court upholds the 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling that made abortion legal nationwide.

June 1993 — With Rehnquist's vote, the court for the first time allows white voters to challenge black-majority congressional districts, which were intended to boost minorities' political power.

January 1995 — In a whimsical touch, Rehnquist adds gold stripes to the sleeves of his black robe after seeing a Gilbert and Sullivan production of "Iolanthe" and being amused by the garb of the British lord chancellor.

June 2000 — Rehnquist writes opinion allowing continuation of so-called Miranda rights read to criminal suspects. Despite his personal objections to Miranda, he writes that Congress cannot legislatively overturn the constitutional decision that dates to 1966. Also in June, a five-justice majority, over Rehnquist's dissent, strikes down state laws banning what critics call "partial birth" abortions.

December 2000 — Rehnquist votes with O'Connor, Scalia, Kennedy and Thomas to stop recounts of Florida presidential ballots, leading to Republican George W. Bush's victory.

June 2003 — Over Rehnquist's dissent, the court rules 5-4 that colleges may favor minority applicants to achieve racial diversity on campus. Separately, over Rehnquist's dissent, a six-justice majority rules that state laws banning sexual relations between people of the same sex are unconstitutional.

June 2004 — After the court hears the first major challenge to the Bush administration's legal policy on terrorism, Rehnquist rules with the majority that a U.S. citizen held as an "enemy combatant" has a right to be told the reasons for his detention and to rebut those claims before a judge. Rehnquist dissents, however, from a decision that says foreigners in military custody at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, may challenge their detentions in federal courts.

January 2005 — Rehnquist administers oath of office to President Bush. As he descends steps to inaugural platform, ailing Rehnquist receives a standing ovation.

Sept. 3, 2005 — Rehnquist dies at his home in Arlington, Va.

Allow me a quiet smile at his passing. The only downside is that his successor will be nominated by the only president worse than Nixon I can think of.